Recs in Chicago

[beastiefan2k]

I moved out of Chicago in 2014. No way i could keep up with the beer scene. Anything particularly worthwhile I should try to get to that’s new in the past 5 years. Will be there this weekend.

[emerge]

Dovetail, Off Color, Maplewood, Saint Errant and Hop Butcher cans. Are you looking to hit a few new breweries or pick up beer to bring home?

Are you from KC? I was just there last weekend, ironically. Went to Waldo Pizza, Strange Days, and Q39. Sadly didn’t have time for beer shopping.

Edit: also Beer Temple and Green Lady usually have a solid taplist.

[beastiefan2k]

I live in Baltimore now but lived in KC till 2013 and in Chicago till 2014. Not looking to bring beer back but to visit breweries and places that are worthwhile and have opened in the past 5 years.

Is Saint Errant a place I can visit? Can’t find much on the internet.

I’m put off by Hop Butcher’s website cause their fun names tell me nothing about the beer style. Why isn’t Smoke Filled Room a smoked beer of some sort?

Thanks for the recs

[emerge]

I live in Baltimore now but lived in KC till 2013 and in Chicago till 2014. Not looking to bring beer back but to visit breweries and places that are worthwhile and have opened in the past 5 years.

Is Saint Errant a place I can visit? Can’t find much on the internet.

I’m put off by Hop Butcher’s website cause their fun names tell me nothing about the beer style. Why isn’t Smoke Filled Room a smoked beer of some sort?

Thanks for the recs

Sure no problem, always happy to!

Saint Errant and Hop Butcher are only in cans at the moment, no taprooms. You might find them on tap at Beer Temple or Green Lady though.

Dovetail has become my go-to, they do Euro-style lagers better than anyone locally and have a pretty robust spontaneous/barrel program as well. They're right by Begyle (skippable) & Half Acre too. Northman is a cider bar nearby, south on Lincoln Ave.

Off Color opened their Mousetrap taproom a few years ago, lots of wild stuff and some cocktails also.
Maplewood is similar, they're also a distillery but make some of the best hazy stuff and huge stouts, though they also nailed a Czech dark lager recently.

Other newer breweries of note: Middle Brow, Old Irving, Cruz Blanca, Twisted Hippo. Eris does some ciders.

[emerge]

Update? How was the trip?

[heckmanm]

Dovetail has become my go-to, they do Euro-style lagers better than anyone locally and have a pretty robust spontaneous/barrel program as well.

Do they bottle/can? I've seen them here on draft a few times and the lagers have been outstanding. How about Metropolitan?

[emerge]

Dovetail has become my go-to, they do Euro-style lagers better than anyone locally and have a pretty robust spontaneous/barrel program as well.

Do they bottle/can? I've seen them here on draft a few times and the lagers have been outstanding. How about Metropolitan?

Dovetail cans their Lager, Vienna, and Hefe so far. Metro does 6 pack bottles.

[emerge]

Update? How was the trip?

[beastiefan2k]

Update? How was the trip?

Woops.

The trip was good. I went to the Mousetrap location and that was great. i didn't realize it was right next Whole Foods. I used to visit their upstairs bar often. Shame it closed. It is still awesome that you can shop and drink, plus you can eat anything they have at the bar. Enjoyed a very tasty Marz bourbon barelywine. After that I went to Off Color and loved the ambiance, selection, and service. Left with some swag for me and my kiddo. But I have been an Off Color fan since they opened and buy any affordable beer they make.

I visited Rock Bottom which I used to enjoy. The brewer must have changed since I left because the beer wasn't as good.

I wanted to drink some Eataly beers but apparently they had no beer on draft and the bar is only open on weekends, super whack!

I didn't get to any of the other breweries mentioned but did have the Dovetail Helles in a can and it was amazeballs. The problem is all these breweries are on the north end of Chicago and I don't like traveling that far. I visited Binny's near GI and that was still an awesome store. Left with 2 meads, would still be my #1 beer store if I lived in Chicago. Hit up Phil's Last Stand for hot dog and went to the Oak Street Beach a lot. I guess beer wasn't as a top priority as it used to be. But I will need to find some way to drink more Dovetail since that beer left me with a very positive impression.

[beastiefan2k]

Dovetail has become my go-to, they do Euro-style lagers better than anyone locally and have a pretty robust spontaneous/barrel program as well.

Do they bottle/can? I've seen them here on draft a few times and the lagers have been outstanding. How about Metropolitan?

Dovetail cans their Lager, Vienna, and Hefe so far. Metro does 6 pack bottles.

I am a big fan of Metropolitan. If I got their distro they would be a regular in my purchases. I doubt I will ever see them my way thought.

[emerge]

Update? How was the trip?

Woops.

The trip was good. I went to the Mousetrap location and that was great. i didn't realize it was right next Whole Foods. I used to visit their upstairs bar often. Shame it closed. It is still awesome that you can shop and drink, plus you can eat anything they have at the bar. Enjoyed a very tasty Marz bourbon barelywine. After that I went to Off Color and loved the ambiance, selection, and service. Left with some swag for me and my kiddo. But I have been an Off Color fan since they opened and buy any affordable beer they make.

I visited Rock Bottom which I used to enjoy. The brewer must have changed since I left because the beer wasn't as good.

I wanted to drink some Eataly beers but apparently they had no beer on draft and the bar is only open on weekends, super whack!

I didn't get to any of the other breweries mentioned but did have the Dovetail Helles in a can and it was amazeballs. The problem is all these breweries are on the north end of Chicago and I don't like traveling that far. I visited Binny's near GI and that was still an awesome store. Left with 2 meads, would still be my #1 beer store if I lived in Chicago. Hit up Phil's Last Stand for hot dog and went to the Oak Street Beach a lot. I guess beer wasn't as a top priority as it used to be. But I will need to find some way to drink more Dovetail since that beer left me with a very positive impression.

Nice! Glad you got to try Dovetail!
Mousetrap is a fun stop, and Whole Foods is pretty impressive. I didn’t know they closed the upstairs bar, only have been downstairs by the coffee bar. Binnys is probably the biggest selection in town, though it can be hard finding specific things sometimes. They scaled their Belgian selection way back.

Yeah the Eataly “brewery” shut down maybe a year ago. The beers weren’t good. I was in there for a holiday party and the bartender couldn’t tell me anything about the brewery. I walked around the side and it looked like it was being used as a storage room.

There are some great beer bars, but there aren’t really any good breweries right downtown. There’s a Gino’s East that brews apparently, Rock Bottom, and Haymarket (the brewer left Rock Bottom awhile back to start this one). Goose Island isn’t the same. Motor Row is meh, Vice District was bad and they closed. The hot area now is by Goose Fulton, but that cluster of new breweries has yet to impress me. Good thing i’m close enough to Half Acre and Dovetail.